Car-coupling



(No Model.)

O .LUNT.'

GAR COUPLING.

No. 363,341. Patented May 17,1887.

INVENTUH" WITNESSES- um m w. Wznhingian. 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER LUNT, OF PENFIELD, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 363,341, dated May 17,1887. Application filed October 13,1886, Serial No. 216,086. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER LUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Penfleld, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michi gan, have invented certain new and useful Im,-.

provements in Devices for Coupling Railroad- Oars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of carcoupling devices which contemplate the retention of the well-known link and pin; and its object is to provide safeguards for insuring the safety of the operator and at the same time securing the unerring coupling and uncoupling of the cars without the necessity of ever going between them for that purpose, or of encumbering them with costly and complex devices, working automatically, to take the place of the always-reliable coupling link and pin so long in use.

My invention consists in the combination, with the draw-head, of link-and-pin-operating levers and guides provided with arms reaching to the car sides and capable of being operated by hand from the ground or train without passing between the cars.

A glance at the drawings forming part of this specification, and wherein like letters of reference refer to similar parts in all the views, will clearly disclose the essential features of my invention, y

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of one end of a railroad-car with my invention attached and the parts adjusted in proper position for coupling to an approaching car. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,looking upward from the track or show ing the car-bottom, and Fig. 3 represents one of the pin lifting and holding levers detached.

A is a portion of a railroad-car body,showing one end thereof, with the bumpers B B, draw-head O, coupling-link L, and pin P. The pin-lifting levers E E (a pair for each end of a car) are suitably pivoted to the car end, and their inner ends engage with each other and the pin P at the car center,asshown in Fig. 1.

E represents the-link-lifting lever, which is provided with handled ends reaching,like the pin-lifting levers, to the'carsides, while its central and downwardly-bent portion carries the loosely-pivoted \l-shaped linkguide block D. The link-lifting lever is here shown pivoted to the top of the bumpers; but it maybe swung to the car end in any suitable manner so that it shall serve the purpose of holding and guiding the swinging block D. The block D is also preferably provided with a curved and serrated upper edge for the purpose of the better taking hold of the link and guiding it by a movement of the bent rod or lever E laterally; but a plain block might answer the purpose, as is evident. The lever E is allowed to swing down out of the way by gravity when not used for guiding the liuk,as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

' Near the lower corners of the car end are the fixed ratchet-notches a a',whose office is to hold the pin-liftinglevers in certain positions, to appear presently. These pin-lifting levers are made thin vertically, as shown at m, Fig. 3, and springtempered at this point for the I following purpose, to wit: When it is desired to lock the coupling devices, so that no injury can occur to the same, or the cars become coupled by coming together when :not wanted, the handled end of the levers E or E, as the case may require, is secured underneath the hook a, while the spring :0 of that portion of the said levers E and E furnishes the requisite elasticity to allow of the movement of the draw-head longitudinally,provided by the spiral spring 8 (see Fig. 2) and its operative connections without injury to the coupling devices or danger of ever coupling to a car where not desired. When placed under the horizontalnotch a,the movement of the draw-head releases the said levers E E,and the couplingpin 1? is forced down to its work in engagement with the link L by means of the spiral spring 8, Fig. 1, at the same time that the contacting and impinging draw-heads force the swinging guide-block D downward, and the lever E resumes its, natural position. (See dotted lines, Fig. 1.) I

It will be observed that the link lifting and adjusting lever has a movement laterally of the car and in the direction of its own length for the purpose of facilitating the adjustment of the link to a proper position for entering the approaching car.

Having thus fully described my invention and pointed out some of its advantages and mode of operation, whatI claim, and desire to In testimony that I claim the foregoing I secure by Letters Patent of the United States, hereunto subscribe my name in the presence is-= v of two witnesses. I

The combination of a car-body having a rack 1 5 on each side of its end, a draw-head held for- CHESTER LUNT;

Ward by a spring, and uncoupling-levers E, provided with the spring 8, whereby the pin Witnesses: may be automatically dropped by the coming FRANK W. OL'APP', together of the draw-heads of two cars, as set MARTIN METOALF.

7 IO forth. I 

